Unnakkaya - A Malabar Ramadan Snack and My 150th post

With this post today,A Bowl Of Curry completes it's 150th post here.It was a journey with lots of interactions,friendships and   learning experience through valuable comments .I would love to thank each of my fellow foodies out there,for their valuable response and support !

It is Ramadan period, a holy month for Muslims all over the world.As all of you know it is the time when they fast and pray each day and break their fast in the evening. Each Iftar day they make delicious snacks, juices, and rice and much more.Each one differ in taste and preparation from one another.

Malabar cuisine is known for their rich,flavourful and exotic in all senses.Being from Malabar, i have tasted many for their recipes and have shared some of them like Chatti Pathiri,Kakkarotti , Pazham Nirachathu , Arikadukka . Today i am sharing one of the famous and a perfect snack from Thalassery, which will melt in your mouth from the first bite, "Unnakkaya". The name and shape of the snack represents elongated "Cotton Pods". When we think of preparation feel it is a long process, but i would say even a bachelor who loves cooking can give it a try. The steamed plantain is filled with mixture lightly sauted coconut , sugar, scrambled egg, elachi powder in ghee called "Pandam" and deep fried in oil. If you don't like or use eggs you can avoid eggs and make it pure vegetarian. Over to the recipe... 

Ingredients

1. Ripe plantains /Nenthrapazham - 5 
2. Grated coconut - 1 cup
3. Sugar - 3 Tbsp or as needed
4. Raisins -  2 Tbsp
5. Almonds /badam  roughly chopped - 4 Tbsp (You can also use cashew nuts)
6. Cardamom powder - 1 Tsp
7. Egg - 1
8. Salt - a tiny pinch
9. Ghee - 1 Tbsp
10. Oil - for deep frying

  Preparation

• Cut each of the bananas into half and also the stems at both the ends. Steam the bananas in a steamer until cooked soft. You can even microwave the bananas and cook. BUT DO NOT OVERCOOK THEM as later it becomes mushy and wont be able to roll it tight .
• After cooling it, peel off the skin and cut into half and remove the black seed thread.
• Now mash it using a wooden spoon or with your hand into a very smooth dough without any lumps. Keep aside.
• Beat egg with a teaspoon of sugar, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder and salt. Keep aside.
• Heat a tsp oil in a nonstick pan and scramble egg. Keep aside.
• Now heat ghee, fry the raisins, let it puff up , remove from heat and keep aside.
• Add grated coconut and saute for 5 minutes till the moisture is absorbed.
• Add sugar, cardamom powder, raisins, scrambled egg and almonds. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.
• Grease your palm and take little banana mixture, about a lemon size and flatten it with your thumb, place a 2 tsp of the filling inside., seal the edges and roll into cylindrical shape with elongated edges. Shape the remaining the same way.
• Heat oil in a kadai/deep bottomed pan for deep frying. Deep fry each of them into golden . Fry both the sides.
• Drain on paper towel and serve them hot.

Check out the recipe for Pachamulaku Thengaa Chammanthi

Notes

• Do no overcook the bananas, it will become watery and will become difficult to hold.
• If you don't like or use eggs you can avoid eggs and make it pure vegetarian.

Check out for more Ramadan recipes

        

    

   

Karimeen / Pearl Spot Fry - Kerala Style with kanthaari mulakku... Thani Naadan

Karimeen aka Pear Spot is the fish that is commonly found in the Kerala Backwaters around Alapuzha, Kollam and Kottayam . Nowadays with the boom of tourism this fish has become the most popular fish in North Kerala. This is served in every other resorts, home stays and house boats. One among the delicacy that is served,  is the Karimeen Pollichathu and Karimeen Moily. 

In my hometown Kannur , we don't used to get it much, but when we get i used to fry it in coconut oil after marinating the fish overnight with spicy crushed masalas. Now when i came to Bangalore, i have been seeing the fish in the market but never used to buy, thinking it is some other fish. But a few days back, one customer in the market overheard me and my husband talking in malayalam , he suddenly said..."buy that, it is our Karimeen, just fry it spicy with pepper masala".... My husband within seconds ordered for 1 Kg, before allowing him to complete his words....From then this fish has been a "King" in our fried seafood dishes...In Kerala , the fish and dish is quite expensive.. here in Karnataka , it is much cheaper.So we say, now that we have started buying it, it is sure gonna become expensive.. 

Over to the recipe , today i am sharing a yet spicy Karimeen Fry. The cleaned and slit fish is marinated with spicy masala. Instead of normal chilly, i have used Kaanthari Mulakku(a spicier version, though looks small,tiny and cute, but very spicy and healthy, i have heard it lessens cholesterol )

Ingredients

1. Karimeen / Pearl Spot (Clean and slit)  - 2
2. Pepper powder - 2 Tbsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 Tsp
4. Red Chilly powder - 1 Tsp
5. Kaanthari mulakku (Bird's Eye Chilly) crushed- 6
6. Ginger crushed - 1" piece
7. Garlic crushed - 6
8. Salt - as per taste
9. Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
10. Coconut Oil / Oil - 2 Tbsp
11. Coconut Oil/Oil -  for shallow frying

Preparation

• Mix all the ingredients and do not add water, if needed little more oil.

• Marinate the clean and slit fish with the prepared masala . Keep in for about 1 hour minimum.(If done overnight... delicious!!!)

• Heat coconut oil / oil in a pan,layer 2-3 sprigs of curry leaves and place the marinated fish on it.
• Fry both sides on a medium flame until golden brown.

Sending this entry to Ahlan Ramadan –The Healthy Way

Peas Mutta Fry ~ A Kozhikode Street Food

  

I know the monsoon has started, and time has come to crave for Street Foods. Even though i love street food, served hot and spicy... but a BIG NO NO when it comes to oily foods... Once in a while i do enjoy having oily stuff... There will be a list of items mainly non veg dishes when it comes to Malabar, like Kallumakkai porichathu, parippu vada, pazham pori , ullivada.. and goes on.. Today i am sharing one of the famous street food that we get at Calicut beach...spicy Peas Mutta Fry. A very simple recipe with a very few ingredients. Cooked green peas with scrambled eggs sprinkled with pepper powder...and served hot.

Check out the recipe for Arikadukka, parippu vada, pazham pori

Ingredients

1. Green Peas / Pachapattani / Mattar - 1 cup (soaked for 6-8 hours)
2. Eggs - 4
3. Pepper powder - 2 Tsp
4. Onion finely chopped - 2 + 1
   
5. Green chilly chopped (round and not fine pieces) - 3
6. Ginger finely cut lengthwise - 1" piece
7. Carrot roughly chopped - 2 medium
8. Tomato finely chopped - 1
9. Butter / Coconut Oil/Oil - 1 to 2 Tbsp
10. Salt - as needed

 

Preparation

• Pressure cook green peas for just one whistle.(Do not cook it mushy). After 1 whistle release the pressure and , open and cook. 
• Heat oil in a kadai, add 2 onion s chopped, green chilly and ginger. Saute till onions are soft and pink. (a bit of crunchiness should be there for onions).
• Now add carrot chopped and tomato. Cook it covered.
• Add the cooked green peas with the water. Mix well.Add salt.
• Beat 3 eggs. Lower the flame and add the eggs. Mix properly and scramble the eggs. 
• Now you will see the water is fully absorbed. Mix well on high flame for a minute and remove from flame.
• Now add pepper powder and mix well.
• Serve hot with chopped onion and lime wedges. Enjoy!!!!

 

Sending this entry to Ahlan Ramadan –The Healthy Way 

Mathanga Perakku

                       An easy vegetarian side dish for lunch... 
Ingredients

1. Pumpkin / Mathanga - 1/2 Kg ( I used the green coloured skin type)
2. Green Chilly - 5-6( can you more as pumpkin is a bit sweet)
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
4. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
5. Cumin seeds - 1/4 Tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp
7. Dry red chilly - 2
8. Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs
9. Coconut Oil / Oil - 1 Tbsp

Preparation

• Wash and peel off the skin of pumpkin and cut it into cubes.
• Pressure cook pumpkin with  turmeric powder, salt and 1/4 cup of water. Just go for one whistle.( Do not overcook it). 
• Meanwhile coarsely grind, grated coconut and green chilly.
• Add this to the cooked pumpkin, Mix well and cooked till the water is absorbed ( on a medium fire). Add curry leaves.
• For tempering, heat oil in pan, crackle mustard seeds and add dry red chilly and curry leaves. pour this to the pumpkin mix.
• Serve hot in your lunch menu.

Sending this to cook-with-comfort event by Sapana ,South Indian cooking hosted by nandoo an event by Anu

Cabbage Upperi/ Cabbage Thoran

Ingredients

1. Cabbage - 1/4 Kg
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Green chilly slit - 3
4. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
6. Curry leaves - 1-2 Sprigs
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp
8. Split urad daal - 1/2 Tsp
9. Dry red chilli - 2
10. Coconut Oil / Oil - 2 Tbsp

Preparation 

• First remove 2 or three outer leaves of the cabbage and rinse under running water. 
• Shred (julienne) the cabbage into very thin pieces.Rinse again under running water for 2 to 3 times and drain it.
• In a bowl, add the shredded and drained cabbage, grated coconut, chopped onion, green chilly, curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt.Give it a slight mix with your hand.
• Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add split urad daal and dry red chillies.
• Now add the cabbage mix to it .
• In the same bowl, add 2 Tbsp of water, mix it and pour it to the pan. Mix well and cook it closed with a lid, until done.(Water should get fully absorbed).
• Serve with steamed rice at lunch.

Sending this to  South Indian cooking hosted by nandoo an event by Anu

'Chatti Pathiri' - Layered Pathiri - Indian Lasagna

 

Chatti Pathiri is a layered dish made in the Northern Malabar region of Kerala, mainly Kannur, Thalassery and Calicut. This is made with either sweet or savory (meat) filling. It is mainly made by the Muslim community during the Ramadan period as an evening snack. It is also called as “Chatti Pathal/Atti Pathal”.

I have made the savory version of it and I am making it for the first time…It comes with 10-12 layers of crepes/pancakes, each layer of crepes/pancakes sandwiched with meat filling and then coated with egg mixture. You can either bake it or cook it on stove top. I cooked it on stove top. 

This is a very rich dish that it would keep you full for longer. After having a piece of it,i didn't have my dinner, it was that full.

When i did a search on internet, i saw that many have recalled it as the "Indian Lasagna" and in Ria's collection it is smartly mentioned as the "Malayalee Lasagna".

Ingredients

For the pancakes/crepes 

1. All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
2. Egg - 1
3. Salt - as needed
4. Water - as needed

From this you will get 10 - 12 crepes / pancakes depending on the size (round shape) of it. Make it depending on the diameter of your pan.

For the Masala Filling

1. Chicken Boneless - 1/2 Kg
2. Onion - 7 small
3. Green chilly - 6
4. Ginger-garlic paste - 3 Tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp 
6. Red Chilly powder - 3/4 Tsp
7. Chicken Masala - 1 Tbsp (I used eastern Chicken Masala)
8. Garam Masala - 1/4 Tsp
9. Fennel powder - 1/4 Tsp
10. Curry Leaves chopped - 2 Sprigs
11. Coriander Leaves chopped - 1/2 cup
12. Salt - as needed
13. Ghee - melted

For the coating

1. Eggs - 5 (beaten or more depending upon the size of your pan to get the coating and nice shape. I used only 4 eggs, thats why i couldn't get the side correct)
2. Milk -  2 Tbsp
3. Pepper powder - 1/4 Tsp
4. Salt - a pinch

Preparation

Masala Preparation

• Boil chicken pieces with little salt, turmeric and pepper powder. Let the chicken absorb all the water. Cool it down and shred/cut  into pieces.
• In a pan heat oil, add finely chopped onion and green chillies. Fry till onions turns translucent and little brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste. Sauté till the raw smell goes. Add a sprig of chopped curry leaves to it.
• Add the masala powders and salt to it. Sauté well for few minutes.
• Now add the shredded chicken to it. Mix well and cook closed for 5 minutes.The masala should be a dry.
• Garnish with coriander leaves. Remove from fire and keep aside to cool.

Making Pancakes/Crepes

• Mix flour,egg,salt and enough water in a blender. Blend it to a thin batter.
• Now heat a nonstick pan on a medium heat. Pour a ladle full of batter to the pan and swirl it to a thin round shape using the back of the spoon, like how you swirl it for making dosa. Cook on both the sides. (Do not have to make it crispy)
• Prepare crepes using the remaining batter, you may get up to 10 -12 crepes out of this batter. Keep it aside.
• Make sure that the pancakes do not stick to each other, it might be a pain to separate them.
• Do not change the heat of the pan.

For Coating

• In a wide plate/bowl, beat the eggs and milk , add salt and pepper powder.( I found plate easy ).

Layering

• You can use a small or medium sized non-stick sauce pan/frying pan for the final cooking. With this you will get a cake shaped Chatti pathiri.
• Now grease the sauce pan with ghee.
• Take a pancake/crepe and dip it in "For coating" mixture.
• Place this as the first layer of the "Chatti Pathiri". Spread 1 to 2 tablespoon of the chicken filling evenly over the crepe.Pour a spoon of coating on the sides of the layer and press the masala.
• Now dip the next crepe in egg mixture, make the second layer, spread chicken filling and repeat the same as for the first layer.
• Continue doing the same , until you get the final top layer as the crepe.
• Pour the remaining coating mixture onto the sides and top of the crepe.
• Drizzle a tablespoon of ghee on the sides and top of the crepe.
• Hold both the sides of the sauce pan and give a small shake so that the coating gets through the sides of the pan.
• Cover it with a lid and cook on very low fire for about 30 - 45 minutes.In between check it. If you see the sides golden brown in colour, off the flame  and cover it with a plate and gently flip it over.
• Grease the pan with 2 teaspoon of ghee, gently transfer the chatti pathiri to the pan, but with the top side down .This is done to get a light brown colour on the top side of it. Just cook for 2 minutes. Off the flame.
• Remove from stove and again cover the pan with a plate and slowly flip it over.
• Cool it down and cut like a cake and serve.

Sending this to cook-with-comfort event by Sapana

Pachamulaku Thengaa Chammanthi

Ingredients

1. Grated coconut - 1/2 of a coconut
2. Green Chilli - 3- 4 nos.
3. Garlic - 2
4. Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
5. Salt - as needed

Preparation

Simply grind all the ingredients to a coarsely ground smooth paste .(It should not be a smooth paste, a bit grainy)

Notes

• Do not add water
• If you use a mixer , it gives a different taste .

Sending this to Cooking with Green event by savorindian


Sending this to cook-with-comfort event by Sapana

Gothambha Paayasam

Ingredients

1. Skinless Wheat/Kuthiya gothambham/Broken Wheat / Cracked Wheat - 1 cup
2. Water - 4-5  cups (or 3 1/2 cups of third extract of coconut milk + 1 cup of water )
3. Jaggery - 3/4 Kg - 1 Kg
4. Water - 1/2 cup
5. Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
6. Second extract of coconut milk - 3 1/2 cups
7. Cardamom crushed and powdered - 3-4 
8. Dry ginger powder - 1/2 Tsp
9. Cumin powder - 1/4 Tsp
10. Ghee - 1 Tbsp
11. Cashew nuts - 10
12. Raisins - 10

Curious about how it looks like? I dont know what it is exactly called in English.

Preparation

• Clean and pressure cook the broken wheat either with 4 -5 cups of water or with both water and third extract of coconut milk to 6-8 whistles. (Refer Notes).
• In another bowl melt jaggery with 1/2 cup of water. Strain the melted jaggery .
• Reduce the flame of the pressure cooker. Now slowly pour the melted jaggery to this. Also add the second extract of coconut milk to it and boil.
• When it boils add crushed and powdered cardamom.Stir well  and after 5 minutes, add thick coconut milk. Heat for few minutes. (Do not let it boil). (Refer notes)
• Remove it from fire. Add dry ginger powder and mix well.
• In a pan, heat ghee, fry cashew nuts and raisins, off the flame and add cumin powder. 
• Immediately pour this along with the ghee to the hot paayasam. Keep it unstirred for  about 10 minutes and then mix it well.
• Serve hot.

Notes

• Pressure cook broken wheat for 6 - 8 whistles. I cooked on high flame for 5 whistles, checked if cooked, and cooked on low flame for 3 whistles. If water is absorbed, do add boiling water to it. Never add normal or cold water as the cooked wheat might become hard. 
• The colour of the paayasam depends on the type of jaggery you use.
• If you boil the paayasam after adding the thick coconut milk, it ends to curdle.
• The paayasam tends to thicken when it cools. If it is too thick you can add warm milk.
• Don't fry the cumin powder as it will give a different taste to the paayasam.

Sending this to 50 Sweet and Savory Holiday Recipes + Add yours to win a surprise Giveaway! by Siri

Sending this to 1st anniversary celebration with giveaways ! of cook click n devour